Conical bearing for a wheel assembly for a luggage item

ABSTRACT

A wheel assembly for a luggage item and a luggage item. The wheel assembly may include a housing for operably coupling the wheel assembly to a luggage item. The wheel assembly may also include a wheel support rotatably coupled to the housing and having a first axis of rotation. The wheel support may be coupled to a wheel member having a second axis of rotation. A friction reduction member may be positioned between the housing and the wheel support to facilitate the relative rotation therebetween. The wheel support may include an underside defining in part a conical shape.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to European Patent Application No.14154514.5, filed on Feb. 10, 2014 and entitled “Conical Bearing For aWheel Assembly For a Luggage Item,” and claims priority to EuropeanPatent Application No. 13160173.4, filed on Mar. 20, 2013 and entitled“Conical Bearing For a Wheel Assembly For a Luggage Item”, which arehereby incorporated in their entireties by reference as though fullydisclosed herein.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to luggage. More particularly,the present disclosure relates to wheel assemblies for a luggage item.

BACKGROUND

Many luggage items may include wheel assemblies to provide rollingsupport for the luggage on a support surface. One example of suchrolling support includes four spinner wheel assemblies coupled to abottom of the luggage case. The configuration of four spinner wheelsallows a user to roll the luggage laterally in any direction without theneed to tip the luggage case onto a pair of wheels. A spinner wheelassembly usually includes a housing for joining the wheel assembly tothe luggage case, and a wheel support for rotatably connecting the wheelto a base of the housing so the wheel rotates about a generally verticalaxis. To facilitate the rotation of the wheel support relative to thebase, the wheel assembly may be configured with bearing structures, suchas planar-oriented ball bearing units.

There are several drawbacks with a spinner wheel assembly configuredwith ball bearing units. Typically, the ball bearing units have a planarorientation, which orientation requires more surface area to create anacceptable load on the ball bearing unit. This results in a larger wheelassembly than is often desired, which impacts the weight and packingspace of the luggage case. Also, the ball bearings in the ball bearingunits provide only point contacts with the bearing races, which maycause deformation and wear on the upper and lower races. To reduce thiswear, the races may be formed by a robust material, such as metal, whichis relatively heavy. Non-metal materials may be used, which may belighter than metal, but sometimes not as strong, and thus requiresstructural buttressing to resist unwanted deformation. This structuralenhancement of non-metalic materials in this use results in relativelythick walls, increasing the overall weight and reducing the weightbenefit of non-metal materials. In either case, the races constructedfor a ball bearing adds extra weight to the wheel assembly. Anotherstructure that adds extra weight to the wheel assembly in thesetraditional structures is a central axle, which is usually required foraligning the wheel support with the housing of the wheel assembly alongthe rotational axis of the wheel support. Accordingly including complexball bearing units within such spinner structures may be undesirable andin particular for luggage where there is more recently a drive to reduceweight (and also cost), there may be a desire to avoid using such morecomplex bearing arrangements.

Documents that may be related to the present disclosure in that theyinclude various approaches to wheel construction include U.S. Pat. Nos.42,338, 145,769, 1,645,831, 2,437,588, and 3,231,926. These proposals,however, may not be suitable for use in luggage items, or may beimproved.

It is therefore desirable to provide an improved luggage construction,in particular an improved luggage wheel assembly, which addresses theabove described problems and/or which more generally offers improvementsor an alternative to existing wheel assembly structures and constructionmethods.

SUMMARY

According to the present invention there is therefore provided a wheelassembly and a luggage item incorporating the wheel assembly as definedin the accompanying claims.

In one example, a wheel assembly for a luggage item may include ahousing, a wheel support and a wheel member. The housing may operablycouple the wheel assembly to the luggage item. The wheel support may berotatably coupled to the housing and having a first axis of rotation.The wheel member may be rotatably coupled to the wheel support andhaving a second axis of rotation. The housing may include a walldefining an upper side and an underside. The wheel support may include awall defining an upper side and an underside. At least one of theunderside of the wall of the housing or the upper side of the wall ofthe wheel support may define in part a partially conical shape.

In some examples, the housing may include at least two sides eachcoupled to a different panel of the luggage case.

In some examples, the at least two sides of the housing may include abottom side coupled to a bottom panel of the luggage case and a verticalside coupled to an adjacent major face panel or an adjacent side panelof the luggage case.

In some examples, the at least two sides of the housing may include abottom side coupled to a bottom panel of the luggage case and twovertical sides respectively coupled to an adjacent major face panel andan adjacent side panel of the luggage case.

In some examples, the wheel assembly may further include a frictionreduction member positioned between the housing and the wheel support.

In some examples, the underside of the wall of the housing may form afirst bearing surface movably engaging the friction reduction member.The upper side of the wall of the wheel support may form a secondbearing surface movably engaging the friction reduction member.

In some examples, the first and second bearing surfaces may besubstantially parallel to each other or oriented at a same anglerelative to the first axis of rotation of the wheel support.

In some examples, at least one of the wall forming the first bearingsurface or the wall forming the second bearing surface may include asubstantially consistent thickness.

In some examples, the friction reduction member may include a pluralityof rollers.

In some examples, each of the plurality of rollers may be substantiallycylindrical or conical.

In some examples, at least one of the first bearing surface or thesecond bearing surface may be oriented at an angle between 30 to 50degrees, preferably between 35 to 45 degrees, more preferably of 40degrees, with respect to the first axis of rotation of the wheelsupport.

In some examples, the wheel support may further include a spigot havingan axis parallel to the first axis. The spigot may extend from an upperrim of the second bearing surface. The spigot may engage in a boredefined in the housing and located centrally with respect to the firstbearing surface.

In some examples, the wheel assembly may further include a securingassembly restricting relative movement between the wheel support and thehousing in a direction parallel to the first axis of rotation of thewheel support.

In some examples, the wheel support may include at least one strut forsupporting the wheel member at the second axis of rotation of the wheelmember.

In some examples, the wheel support may include a pair of struts eachformed with at least a contoured inner surface.

In some examples, the pair of struts each may be formed with a contouredouter surface. The contoured inner surface of each of the pair of strutsand the corresponding contoured outer surface may be formed withsubstantially the same curvature.

In some examples, the underside of the wheel support may define in parta partially conical recess.

In some examples, an axis of rotation of each of the rollers of thefriction reduction member and the first axis of rotation of the wheelsupport may define an angle of less than 90 degrees.

In some examples, the axis of rotation of each of the rollers of thefriction reduction member and the first axis of rotation of the wheelsupport may define an angle between 30 to 50 degrees, preferably between35 to 45 degrees, more preferably of 40 degrees.

In some examples, the friction reduction member may be received in asubstantially enclosed space defined by the wheel support and thehousing.

In some examples, the friction reduction member may be received in asubstantially enclosed space defined by the first and second bearingsurfaces.

In some examples, the wheel support may define in part two adjacentconical shapes.

In some examples, at least one of the first bearing surface or thesecond bearing surface and the friction reduction member form aplastic-on-plastic engagement.

In some examples, the bearing surface for the first axis of rotation maybe radially spaced away from the first axis of rotation.

In some examples, the securing assembly may define a C-shaped ringoperably received in a groove defined by the wheel support.

In some examples, the wheel assembly may not include a solid centeringaxle along the first axis of rotation of the wheel support.

In some examples, the friction reduction member may include a cage forreceiving the rollers, the cage in supportive contact with the wheelsupport at an upper end of the cage.

In some examples, the upper end of the cage may include a collardefining an annular shoulder that is adapted to engage a raised ridgeportion of an annular ring disposed on the wheel support.

In some examples, the first bearing surface may be curved to form anapex that engages the plurality of rollers between opposing ends of eachroller.

In some examples, the apex of the first bearing surface maysubstantially correspond to a midway point along a length of eachroller.

In some examples, a plurality of grooves may be disposed about thecircumference of the head portion of the wheel support, the groovesoriented in spaced angular intervals excluding a forward section definedby an angle that is divided by a direction of travel of the wheelassembly, the wheel member trailing the forward section when the wheelassembly is in motion.

In some examples, the angle that defines the forward section may beapproximately 30 degrees.

Advantageously, the wheel assembly described herein may reducedeformation and wear of the components of the bearing units (i.e., thefriction reduction member and its upper and lower races), improve therotation/spinning of the wheel support relative to the wheel housing,reduce the weight of the wheel assembly, and allow for a more compactand light weight construction of the wheel assembly. The wheel assemblydescribed herein may also allow for a simplified construction byreducing number and/or size of components used (such as eliminating theneed of a central axle, reducing the wall thickness of components) andby reducing number of materials used for construction (such as formingall parts with plastic materials) thereby allowing for simplifiedmaterial processing handling. A wider configuration for the rollers andbearing surfaces may advantageously improve the stability of the wheelassembly and reduce the forces placed on various components. Supportingthe upper end of the bearing cage rather than the lower end may beadvantageous because the intrusion of dirt is less likely to causefriction between the bearing cage and the upper and lower bearingsurfaces and less likely to cause friction or otherwise inhibit relativemovement that may occur between the bearing cage and the wheel support.Concentrating a bearing surface force between the upper and lower endsof the rolling element may be advantageous because the force isdistributed more evenly through the body of the rolling element. Grovesthat provide spacing that enables a lubricating grease to be presentbetween the upper collar and the upper portion of wheel support mayadvantageously provide a smoother rotatable connection. Omitting groovesin the forward section of the upper portion of the wheel support mayadvantageously achieve greater efficiency of mechanical energy transferby increasing the amount of wheel support surface area that contacts thesurface area of the upper bore. Reducing an amount of material used mayhave the advantage of reducing the pre-unit cost of producing theproduct.

This summary of the disclosure is given to aid understanding, and one ofskill in the art will understand that each of the various aspects andfeatures of the disclosure may advantageously be used separately in someinstances, or in combination with other aspects and features of thedisclosure in other instances.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described by way of example only withreference to the following figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a luggage case incorporating awheel assembly.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a wheel assembly that may be usedfor the luggage case of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is another top perspective view of the wheel assembly of FIG. 2,with the wheel base and the wheel removed.

FIG. 4 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the wheel assembly ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross section view of the wheel assembly of FIG. 2, viewedalong line 5-5 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6A is a top perspective view of a wheel fork of the wheel assemblyof FIG. 2.

FIG. 6B is a cross section view of the wheel fork of FIG. 6A, viewedalong line 6B-6B of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is another cross section view of the wheel fork of FIG. 6A,viewed along line 6C-6C of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6D is another cross section view of the wheel fork of FIG. 6A,viewed along line 6D-6D of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7 is a cross section view of a wheel assembly that includesalternative configurations for various components.

FIG. 8 is a close-up illustration of the friction enhancing member shownin section 8-8 of FIG. 7

FIG. 9 is a cross section view of the wheel assembly of FIG. 7, viewedalong line 9-9 in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Described herein are wheel assemblies, in particular spinner wheelassemblies, for use in luggage items, such as soft side suitcases, hardside suitcases, hybrid suitcases, backpacks, briefcases, computer bags,or any luggage items. Each wheel assembly may include a housing foroperably coupling the wheel assembly to a surface of the luggage item, awheel support, which may be rotatably coupled to the housing, and awheel member rotatably coupled to the wheel support. The wheel assemblymay further include a friction reduction member to facilitate therotation of the wheel support relative to the wheel housing. Thefriction reduction member may movably engage the wheel housing at afirst bearing surface of the wheel housing. The friction reductionmember may movably engage the wheel support at a second bearing surfaceof the wheel support. Each of the first and second bearing surfaces maydefine in general a frustoconical shape. The axis of rotation of thewheel support relative to the housing is positioned on the axis of thesecond bearing surface on the wheel support, which is received in anaxle bearing surface centered about the axis of the first bearingsurface of the wheel housing. The wheel support may further include anunderside surface. The underside surface of the wheel support may definein general an outer wall of a conical recess or a segment of afrustoconical recess, coaxial with the frustoconical shapes defined bythe first and second bearing surfaces. The friction reduction member mayinclude one or more rollers. The axis of ration of each roller mayconverge at the rotational axis of the wheel support. The terms “cone”or “conical” used herein may refer to any body or shape that includes atapered lateral surface or a segment of a tapered lateral surface. Thetapered lateral surface of a conical body or shape may include an upperor lower rim. These bodies or shapes may also be referred to as afrustoconical body or shape.

By way of example and without limitations, FIG. 1 shows a luggage case100 incorporating a wheel assembly 102 according to one example. Theluggage case 100 may include opposing housing portions enclosing acompartment. The opposing housing portions used herein may refer to afront portion 104 and a rear portion 106, forming in general aparallelepiped shape defining an interior compartment for receivingitems. Each of the opposing portions 104, 106 may include a major facepanel 108, 110, a top end panel 112, 114, a bottom end panel 116, 118, aleft side panel 120, 122 and a right side panel 124, 126.

The opposing housing portions 104, 106 may be separable in part by aclosure mechanism 128, such as a zipper mechanism, while remainingjoined together by a hinge that allows the opposing portions to beselectively pivoted relative to each other to open the luggage case 100.The hinge may be formed of a zipper and fabric strip, a piano hinge,discrete hinges spaced apart, an articulating joint of metal, plastic orother suitable material. The hinge may be positioned along one of theend or the side panels. In some examples, the interior compartment ofthe luggage case 100 may include a single main compartment. In someexamples, the interior compartment may be divided into one or moresub-compartments by one or more panels, dividers, zippers, and so forth.The luggage case 100 may further include one or more outer or innerpockets, an insert or tag for identification, luggage locks, and soforth.

The luggage case 100 may include one or more support elements positionedon one or more of its end, side, or face panels. The support elementsmay include foot support element for supporting the luggage case 100 offof the ground. The support elements may include wheel assemblies forproviding rolling support to the luggage case 100 for ease oftranslation. In some examples, the foot support elements may beconfigured on the side panels of the opposing portions of the luggagecase 100, and a carry handle 130 may be configured on one of theopposing side panels 120, 122, 124, 126 for carrying the luggage case100. The wheel assemblies, such as four spinner wheels 102, may beconfigured on the bottom end panels 116, 118 of the opposing portions104, 106, and a telescoping handle 132 may be configured on one of thetop end panels 112, 114, such as the rear top end panel 114, for pushingand/or pulling the luggage case 100. A carry handle 134 may also bepositioned on the same top end panel 114 as the telescoping handle 132or on the other top end panel 112.

In some examples, the bottom end panels 116, 118 may be configured witha combination of foot support elements and wheel assemblies, with one ortwo foot support elements positioned on the front bottom end panel 116or the rear bottom end panel 118 and one or two wheel assembliespositioned on the other bottom end panel. However, the configuration offour spinner wheel assemblies 102 may be more preferred by some userssince such configuration allows the luggage case 100 to be rolled on itsupright position when most of its weight may be supported by the wheelassemblies 102, thus requiring less effort by the user. Further, each ofthe wheel assemblies 102 may be preferably positioned proximate to acorner region of the luggage case 100 for desired structural integrityand enhanced stability when moving the luggage case 100 on its wheels.The wheel assemblies 102 may be positioned at any suitable location onthe bottom end panels for other considerations. Wheel assemblies 102 mayalso be positioned on one or more of the other panels in addition to orinstead of the bottom end panels of the luggage case 100.

In continuing reference to FIG. 1, the luggage case 100 may include fourspinner wheel assemblies 102. Two of the four wheel assemblies 102 maybe positioned at the front bottom corners of the luggage case 100 andthe other two of the four wheel assemblies 102 may be positioned at therear bottom corners. Each of the front bottom corners may be defined byadjacent front major face panel 108, front bottom panel 116 and one ofthe front side panels 120, 124. Each of the rear bottom corners may bedefined by adjacent rear major face panel 110, rear bottom panel 118 andone of the rear side panels 122, 126.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, each of the wheel assemblies102 may include a housing 136 for operably coupling the wheel assembly102 to the luggage case 100, a wheel support 138 rotatably engaging thehousing 136, and a wheel member 140 rotatably coupled to the wheelsupport 138. To facilitate the rotation of the wheel support 138relative to the housing 136, the wheel assembly 102 may also include afriction reduction member 142 (e.g., FIG. 3) positioned betweenrespective bearing surfaces of the housing 136 and the wheel support138. As described in more detail below, one unique aspect of the wheelassemblies 102 as described herein is that the surface of the housing136 that engages the friction reduction member 142 and the surface ofthe wheel support 138 that engages the friction reduction member 142 maybe oriented at an angle with respect to the luggage panel to which thewheel assembly 102 may be coupled. More specifically, the respectivebearing surfaces may define in general conical or frustoconical shapeswith the axes of rotation of the wheel support 138 relative to thehousing 136 as their common axes.

With respect to the FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the housing 136 may include abase 144 and one or more sides 146 that extend at approximately rightangles from the base 144. The base 144 may also be referred to as thebottom side 144 of the housing 136, and the one or more sides 146extending at approximately right angles from the base 144 may also bereferred to as the one or more vertical sides 146 of the housing 136.The base 144 and the one or more sides 146 may collectively define anexterior surface forming corner portions of the exterior surface of theluggage case 100. Specifically, the base 144 may be coupled to thebottom end panel 116, 118, and the exterior of the base 144 may form acorner portion of the exterior surface of the bottom end panel 116, 118of the luggage case 100. Each of the one or more sides 146 may becoupled to the adjacent front, rear, or side panel 108, 110, 120, 122,124, 126 of the luggage case 100.

The base 144 and the one or more sides 146 may collectively define aninterior surface of the housing 136 facing toward the interiorcompartment of the luggage case 100. The interior surface may includestructures formed thereon for coupling the housing 136 to the luggagecase 100. Specifically, the housing 136 may include one or more bosses148 for receiving the fasteners for joining the housing 136 to theluggage case 100. In some examples, the housing 136 may further includesupport ribs 150 selectively formed on the interior surface of thehousing 136 to provide structural support to the fastener receivingstructures 148 and the sides 146 of the housing 136.

With further reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the base 144 of the housing 136may include a wall having an annular angled portion 152, which defines aconical or frustoconical shape configured to receive at least a portionof the wheel support 138 and the friction reduction member 142. At leasta portion of the underside of the angled wall portion is a bearingsurface that supports or forms contact with the friction reductionmember 142 and/or the wheel support 138 (as described below).Theunderside surface of the angled wall portion 152 may define in general asegment of a conical or frustoconical recess, the main axis of which mayalign with the rotational axis of the wheel support 138 with respect tothe housing 136.

In continuing reference to FIG. 5, the angled wall portion 152 of thehousing 136, and in particular that portion forming the bearing surface,may have a substantially consistent thickness over a majority of itsarea, defined by the distance between the underside or exterior surfaceand an upper side or interior surface of the base 144 of the housing136. A suitable thickness dimension may be 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm, preferably2.5 mm. In some examples, the angled wall portion 152 may have a varyingthickness. The top end of the angled wall portion 152 may define anupper bore 153 of the housing 136 for receiving an upper end of thewheel support 138. The upper bore 153 may be coaxial with the conicalshape of the angled wall portion 152 of the housing 136 referencedabove. In some examples, the upper bore 153 of the housing 136 may bedefined by an inner surface of an upper collar 154 formed at or near atop end of the angled wall 152, and extending upwardly from the upperrim of the angled wall portion 152. The upper collar may have aconsistent wall thickness, which may be the same as, less than, orgreater than, the wall thickness of the angled wall. In one example, theupper collar 154 may have a cylindrical shape, or may have taperedsidewalls forming a frustoconical shape. The upper collar 154 may definea substantially horizontal upper surface, a substantially vertical innersurface and a substantially vertical outer surface. In some examples,the upper collar 154 may be relatively short and may not include thesubstantially vertical outer surface. The substantially vertical innersurface of the upper collar 154 acts as an axle bearing surface andreceives a portion of the wheel support 138 to allow the wheel support138 to rotate with respect to the housing 136. The substantiallyhorizontal upper surface of the upper collar 154 may support a rivet 156thereon as part of a securing mechanism for securing the wheel support138 to the housing 136 (as described below).

An annular flange 158 is formed at a lower end or edge of the angledwall portion 152, and extends laterally from the lower edge thereof. Anannular lower collar 160 extends downwardly from the flange 158 anddefines the outer edge of the flange 158. In one example, the annularlower collar 160 may define a cylindrical shape, or may form afrustoconial shape. The flange 158 and the lower collar 160 may serve asa baffle that may deflect dust from entering the conical orfrustoconical recess of the housing 136.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, and 6C, the wheel support 138may include an upper portion, such as a head 162, for rotatably couplingwith the housing 136 and a lower portion, having one or more struts 164,for rotatably coupling with the wheel member 140. The head 162 mayinclude a wall defining a conical lower section 170 and a spigot 165connected to the conical lower section 170 and extending from the upperrim of the conical lower section 170. At least a portion of the outersurface 170 a of the lower section 170 is a bearing surface thatsupports or forms a contact surface with the friction reduction member142 and/or the wheel housing 136. The spigot 165 may rotatingly engagein the bore 153 defined by the housing 136 as referenced above. In someexamples, the spigot 165 may include two sections: a cylindrical uppersection 166 and a conical middle section 168 connecting the cylindricalupper section 166 to the conical lower section 170. Each section 166,168, 170 of the wall includes an outer surface 166 a, 168 a, 170 a andan inner surface 166 b, 168 b, 170 b. The inner surface of the uppersection 166 of the wall may define an internal cavity of the uppersection 166, which in one example may be cylindrical. The inner surfaceof the middle section 168 of the wall may define a conical orfrustoconical internal cavity of the middle section 168. The innersurface of the lower section 170 of the wall may define a conical orfrustoconical internal cavity of the lower section 170. The cavitiesindividually or considered together are considered to create a concavecavity opening downwardly. The respective outer and inner surfaces ofeach section 166, 168, 170 may be substantially parallel to each other,thus define a substantially consistent thickness for that section of thewall. A suitable thickness dimension may range substantially between 1.5mm to 3.5 mm, with 2.5 mm having been found beneficial. Other wallthicknesses, either thinner or more thick, are contemplated. In someexamples, the respective outer and inner surfaces of each section 166,168, 170 may not be parallel to each other. Each section of the wall mayhave a varying thickness. The head 162 as a whole, and also each section166, 168, 170 individually, may be coaxial with the conical shape of theangled wall portion 152 of the housing 136 referenced above.

In some examples, the bearing surface defined by the underside of theangled wall portion 152 of the housing 136 and the bearing surfacedefined by the outer surface of the lower section 170 of the wheelsupport 138 may be substantially parallel to each other or oriented atthe same angle relative to the rotational axis of the wheel support 138.In some examples, the bearing surfaces may be oriented at differentangles relative to the rotational axis. Each of the bearing surfaces maybe oriented with respect to the rotational axis of the wheel support 138at an angle between 30 to 50 degrees, such as 35, 40, or 45 degrees, orany suitable angle of degrees. In some examples, the bearing surfacesmay be spaced apart by a friction reduction member receivedtherebetween. In some examples, the bearing surfaces may form directcontact with each other.

The one or more struts 164 may extend downward from the conical lowersection 170 of the head 162. Each of the one or more struts 164 may beconfigured with a transverse opening or a recess 172 formed at a lowerend for supporting a central axle 174 of the wheel member 140. Thecentral axle 174 of the wheel member 140 defines an axis of rotation ofthe wheel member 140.

With reference to FIG. 5, the spigot 165, more specifically, the uppersection 166 of the spigot 165 of the head 162 may be received within thebore 153 defined by the upper collar 154 of the housing 136. The uppersurface of the upper section 166 may be flush with the upper surface ofthe upper collar 154. The cylindrical upper section 166 may define asubstantially vertical outer surface that may rotatingly contact thesubstantially vertical inner surface of the upper collar 154 of thehousing 136. The spigot 165 of the head 162 and the upper collar 154 ofthe housing may form part of a securing assembly for securing the wheelsupport 138 to the housing 136. The securing assembly may furtherinclude a rivet 156. The rivet 156 may include a frustoconical lowerbody 180, a shaft 178 and a terminal end 176. The rivet 156 may beinserted from the bottom of the bore or the central cavity so thefrustoconical lower body 180 seats against the inner sidewall of thespigot 165 and the shaft extends through the bore. The terminal end 176passes above the upper surface of the upper collar 154 of the housing136 and the upper surface of the upper section 166 of the wheel support138. The terminal end 176 is deformed against the upper surface of theupper collar 154 and the upper surface of the upper section 166 (with orwithout a washer positioned therebetween) to secure the housing 136 andthe wheel support 138 rotatably together.

Another example of a securing assembly may be utilized. For example,where the upper surface of the cylindrical upper section 166 may extendabove the upper surface of the upper collar 154. An annular groove maybe formed in the outer surface of the cylindrical upper section 166 ofthe wheel support 138 for receiving a C-shaped retainer ring member. TheC-shape ring member may be formed with a width greater than the depth ofthe groove. As such, the C-shape ring member may protrude outwardly fromthe outer surface of the cylindrical upper section 166 and may engagethe upper surface of the upper collar 154 of the housing 136. Thisretention structure secures the wheel support 138 in the housing 136,and prevents the wheel support 138 from disengaging from the housing 136under normal use conditions. In some examples, a washer may bepositioned between the C-shaped ring member and the upper surface of theupper collar 154 of the housing 136 to reduce wear on the top of theupper collar 154. The C-shaped ring member may be formed of a materialthat can experience some elastic deformation.

In some examples, the wheel housing 136 and the wheel support 138 mayeach include a lower lip formed below their respective bearing surfacesfor the friction reduction member 142. The lower lip of the housing 136may close around the lower lip of the wheel support 138 for retainingthe upper portion of the wheel support 138 inside the conical recess ofthe wheel housing 136. In some examples, a ridge may be formed on stubof wheel support 138 that is snap fit into the bore 153 in the housing136 and then rests on the upper rim of the housing 136.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, the conical lower section 170 may bearor support the rolling elements of the friction reduction member 142, orin this example the rollers. The angled wall portion 152 of the housing136 and the conical lower section 170 of the wheel support 138 mayeffectively serve as the respective upper and lower races for therollers. The conical lower section may further include an annular flangeformed at a lower end or edge of the conical lower section and extendinglaterally from the lower edge. The annular flange may further preventdust from entering into the space receiving the friction reductionmember 142 to cause rotation friction. An annular lip 184 may extendupwardly from an upper surface of the flange 182. The annular lip 184may include a side surface oriented at an angle with the outer surfaceof the lower section 170 for supporting a lower end of the frictionreduction member 142 (as described below). The side surface of theannular lip 184 supporting the friction reduction member 142 may form afrustoconical shape.

Similar to the angled wall portion 152 of the housing 136, the conicallower section 170 may include a substantially consistent wall thicknessgiven the inherently strong structure provided by the conical shape.Varying wall thickness may be employed for other considerations, butwould result in an increase in weight for compared to a consistent wallthickness of the same material. The conical middle section 168 thatjoins the cylindrical upper section 166 and the conical lower section170, and may improve the structural strength of the wheel support 138.In some examples, the conical middle section 168 may be omitted toaccommodate size restrictions or other purposes.

With reference to FIGS. 3,4, and 5, the friction reduction member 142 ispositioned within a substantially enclosed space defined by the angledwall portion 152 of the housing 136 and the conical head 162 portion ofthe wheel support 138. The friction reduction member 142 may include abearing cage 202 having a conical shape complementary to the shape ofthe angled wall portion 152 of the housing 136 and the conical head 162portion of the wheel support 138. Apertures 204 are formed in aspaced-apart configuration around the bearing cage 202, which eachreceive a rolling element. The rolling elements may be configured asball bearings or rollers 206. Rollers may be advantageous in someexamples, because rollers provide line contact with the bearing surfacesas opposed to point contact provided by balls. Line contact provided byrollers 206 reduces load and wear on bearing surfaces. Each of therollers 206 may be substantially cylindrical or slightly tapered.Cylindrical or substantially cylindrical rollers 206 may substantiallyreduce the rotational resistance between the wheel support 138 and thewheel housing 136. Slightly tapered rollers 206 may further reducerotational resistance.

The rollers 206 may be configured with a diameter greater than thethickness of the bearing cage 202. When the wheel support 138 rotatesrelative to the housing 136, the rollers 206 may form contact with andprovide rolling support to the housing 136 and the wheel support 138thereby reducing the rotational resistance between the two. The bearingcage 202 may contact one of the housing 136 or the wheel support 138 andsupport the rollers 206 in their relative positions with each other.Although a bearing cage 202 is described herein as an example, othersupporting structures, such as a bracket, may be utilized.

The friction reduction member 142 is placed over and supported by thelower conical section 170 of the wheel support 138 (as described above).The axis of rotation of each roller 206 may extend toward the axis ofthe frustoconical angled wall 152 of the housing 136. In some examples,the axis of rotation of each roller 206 may extend toward the apex ofthe cone defined by the recess of the housing 136. The axis of rotationof the rollers 206 and the axis of rotation of the wheel support 138relative to the wheel housing 136 may define an angle of less than 90degrees. In some examples, the axis of rotation of the rollers 206 andthe axis of rotation of the wheel support 138 may define an anglebetween 30 to 50 degrees, such as 35, 40, or 45 degrees, or any suitableangle of degrees, depending on the structure and strength of the wheelhousing 136, wheel support 138, materials used and so on.

In one example the angle of 40 degrees was found to be beneficial forcreating a desirable bearing load, both laterally and axially, betweenthe housing 136 and the wheel support 138. In one example, at 40degrees, there is a remaining upward force during use in the area of thesecuring (and thus on the bearing structure between the housing 136 andthe wheel support 138). Thus in normal spinning motion during use (e.g.the wheel support 138 rotates around the first axis of rotation), thereis little or no force on the securing structure, which further lessensthe friction at that bearing location. It is noted that making the anglelarger than that noted above would increase the outward forces on thehousing 136, and during a vertical drop onto the wheel assemblies 102the housing 136 may be damaged. Reducing the angle below that notedabove would cause an increase on the pull forces on the retainer.

There are many advantages associated with the frustoconical bearingstructure formed between the housing and the wheel support. The enhancedbearing performance and strength of the structural configuration allowsthe wall thicknesses to be reduced and fewer bracing structures to beused in the forming of the wheel assembly. The conical-shaped angledwall of the housing and the cone shaped head portion of the wheelsupport, both at least in part forming the bearing surface, is an strongstructural shape, and allows the load of the luggage to be distributedor transferred at an angle to wheel support. This reduces the load bornby the lower bearing surface (i.e., the conical lower section 170 of thehead 162) of the wheel support. The reduced load on the strong structureallows the wall thickness to be reduced, and made a substantiallyconstant thickness, which reduces the weight of the structure. Inaddition, changing the direction of the loading also results in thevertical load being transferred into a part horizontal component withinthe housing and wheel supports such that some of the load is distributedhorizontally, and also such that some of this load is carried by tensionwithin the plastic housing material better distributing the loadingstresses within the housing. As a result load distribution can be moreoptimized and less material can be used to carry the same loads. Thecentral portion of the head of the wheel support is then formed as afrustoconical recess defined by the wall forming the lower bearingsurface. This hollow central area which helps to further reduce theweight of the wheel assembly. Reduced load on the bearing surfaces, inparticular due to the use of rollers providing a line contact, ratherthan ball bearings providing a point contact, also leads to reducedwear, reduced loading and less strengthening reinforcement of thebearing surfaces (such as the support ribs 150 formed on the uppersurface of the angled wall portion 152 of the housing 136 defining theupper bearing surface) needed and reduced resistance against rotation ofthe wheel support relative to the housing.

In addition, the coaxially shaped conical bearing surfaces of the wheelhousing 136 and the wheel support may eliminate the need of a centeringaxle or rivet, which is usually constructed with steel or aluminum. Byusing a plastic material for construction, forming bearing surfaces witha reduced thickness, and eliminating the need of the centering axle orrivets, the weight of the wheel assembly may be reduced.

Additionally, a relatively large portion of the surface area of acentral swivel axle of a traditional wheel assembly may form contactwith the wheel support, and create horizontal and vertical frictionareas, thus increasing the resistance to the rotation of the wheelsupport. In contrast, the wheel assembly as described herein may onlyform friction area where the upper collar of the angled wall portion ofthe housing contacts the cylindrical upper section of the head of thewheel support. However, the surfaces forming the contact there betweenare relatively small, close to the rotation axis of the wheel support,and define a plastic-on-plastic interface, thus leading to a very lowresistance to the rotation of the wheel support.

Another advantage of the wheel assembly described herein as compared toa wheel assembly with a central swivel axle is that the angled bearingsurfaces of the present disclosure may allow the overall height of thewheel assembly to be lower than the wheel assembly with horizontalbearing surfaces and a central vertical swivel axle.

Moreover, because the friction reduction member of the wheel assemblydescribed herein may be received or substantially enclosed in a spacedefined by the conical recess of the housing and the conical headportion of the wheel support, dust may not accumulate between thebearing surfaces of the wheel housing and the wheel support and therollers of the friction reduction member. This is in contrast to aspinner wheel assembly with a central swivel axle configuration, atleast a lower end of which is usually exposed to the environment. Suchexposure may lead to corrosion or degradation of the central axle. Dustmay also accumulate around the central resulting in an increasedrotational resistance.

Also, a roller bearing structure disperses the load of the luggage caseover more surface than a ball bearing structure. A line contact isformed along opposing sides of each roller and the upper race (i.e., theangled wall portion 152 of the wheel housing 136) and the lower race(i.e., the lower conical section of head 162 of the wheel support 138).Such line contact, as opposed to point contact formed by traditionalball bearings, may reduce wear. Further, the rollers may be formed of aplastic material instead of steel for traditional ball bearings. Theplastic-on-plastic contact or engagement between the rollers and itsupper and lower races may further reduce wear of components of thebearing units.

With reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, two struts 164 of the wheelsupport 138 may extend downwardly from the lower rim of the head 162 ofthe wheel support 138, and curve away from the axis of rotation of thewheel support 138 relative to the housing 136 (e.g. FIG. 6C). The struts164 define an aperture 172 adjacent to a lower end of each strut 164 forcoupling with a central axle 174 for rotatably supporting a wheel member140 between the struts 164.

Each strut 164 may be formed of a contoured member having a relativelythin cross section, and having a concave contoured inner surface 208facing the wheel member 140 and a convex contoured outer surface 210facing away from the wheel member 140. The concave and convex curvedsurfaces 208, 210 of the struts 164 extend generally laterally relativeto the extension of the strut 164, or in other words the curvature ofthe surfaces 208, 210 extends generally parallel to the floor. This isin contrast with conventionally constructed wheel supports where theinner surface is usually not concave contoured, which results in athicker center section. As best shown in FIG. 6D, the inner surface 208of the strut 164 of the wheel assemblies 102 as described herein may becurved in the same direction as the outer surface 210 of the strut 164to create a substantially consistent wall thickness. In some examples,the inner surface 208 of the strut 164 may closely follow the curvatureof the outer surface 210 of the strut 210. Accordingly, each strut 164may be formed with substantially an even thickness, as delineated by theinner and outer surfaces 208, 210 of the strut 164. A suitable thicknessdimension may be generally substantially 2 mm to 4 mm, with 2.5 mmhaving been found to be beneficial. Other thicknesses are contemplatedbased on performance characteristics of the material used. Forming thestruts 164 with curved surfaces 208, 210 may make the struts moreflexible and as such absorb shocks when the luggage drops.

Each strut 164 additionally curves away from the axis as it extendsdownwardly from the head 162 of the wheel support 138, providing furtherstructural integrity and strength to each of the struts 164. Thesecombined curved surfaces of each strut 164 form a structure havingsignificant strength, allowing the wall thickness to be reducedaccording to the material properties of the construction material. Thisreduction in wall thickness provides additional savings to the weight ofthe spinner wheel assembly 102 overall. In some instances, a weightreduction for one example has been found to be in the range of at least10% and up to 70%. In addition, configuring the inner surface and theouter surfaces of each strut 164 to be positioned with the concave innersurfaces opposing one another increases the strength of the strut ascompared with a strut with one or both inner and outer surfaces to beflat, non-contoured surfaces.

Although two downwardly extending struts 164 are shown with a centralaxle 174 positioned therebetween for rotatably supporting a wheel member140, it is contemplated that the wheel support 138 may include only onedownward extending strut. The only one downward extending strut maysupport an axle for a wheel positioned on either side thereof.

Other configurations of the friction reduction member 142 may becontemplated. In some examples, the friction reduction member 142 maynot include rollers 206. The friction reduction member 142 may be alow-friction surface bearing, such as a Teflon disc, with a conicalshape coaxial with the first bearing surface of the housing 136 and thesecond bearing surface of the conical head 162 of the wheel support 138.In some examples, the wheel assembly 102 may not include a separatefriction reduction member 142 because the conical shaped bearingsurfaces may be made of or coated with a material that, in directengagement, offers improved load distribution and, at least to certainextent, reduce rotation resistance for the wheel assembly 102. One suchsuitable material to reduce or eliminate the need for a separatefriction reduction member 142 is UHMW polyethylene. The housing 136 andthe wheel support 138, or at least the respective conical bearingsurfaces, may be formed with or coated with low-friction materials tofacilitate the relative rotation of the two. Thus, the frictionreduction member may include a separate member (e.g. rollers or balls asnoted above or a low friction surface bearing element); or attached toor mounted on the respective bearing surfaces (e.g. surface treatmentsapplied to the respective bearing surfaces of the housing and wheelsupport); or integral with the bearing surfaces (e.g. the materialitself used to forming the respective housing and wheel support bearingsurfaces).

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate an example wheel assembly 302 including analternative configuration for certain components, such as the frictionreduction member. Like the wheel assembly 102 shown in FIGS. 1-6, thewheel assembly 302 contains a housing 336 for operably coupling to aluggage case 100. The wheel assembly 302 includes a wheel support 338having a conical head 362 that rotatably attaches to the housing 336through a pivot axle or rivet 356. Struts 364 depend from the head 362and define corresponding apertures 372 that receive a central axle 374for rotatably supporting a wheel member 340 between the struts 364. Thefriction reduction member 342 is seated between an angled wall portion352 of the housing 336 and the lower section 370 of the wheel supporthead 362 to facilitate the rotation about a vertical axis of the wheelsupport member 338 relative to the housing 336. As described above, thefriction reduction member 342 is part of an advantageous frustoconicalbearing structure formed by the angled orientation of upper 504 andlower 508 bearing surfaces associated with, respectively, the housing336 and wheel support 338 so as to provide the upper and lower races forthe rolling elements 406 of the friction reduction member 342. Thealternative configuration of the friction reduction member 342 shown inFIGS. 7, 8 and 9 includes an alternative positioning for the rollingelements 406 relative to the height of the pivot axle 356, analternative cage structure for positioning the bearings between theraces 504 and 508, as well as an alternative configuration for theengagement between the rolling elements 406 and the upper bearingsurface 504.

The alternative structure shown in FIG. 7 includes an alternativepositioning for the rolling elements 406 relative to the height of thepivot axle 356. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the rolling elements 406 aredisposed at a greater distance from the pivot axle 356 in comparison torolling elements 206 of the structure shown in FIGS. 1-6. Morespecifically, the rolling elements 406 are located farther down thediagonal slope of the bearing surfaces 504 and 508 so as to be fartheraway from the rivet 356 that attaches the wheel support 338 to thehousing 336. The bearing surfaces 504 and 508 are also wider. Thislocation and configuration for the rolling elements 406 and bearingsurfaces advantageously improves the stability of the wheel assembly 302and reduces the forces placed on the various components.

Turning now to the alternative cage structure for positioning thebearings between the races 504 and 508, reference is made to FIGS. 7 and8. As described above in connection with similar structure, the frictionreduction member 342 may include a conical shaped bearing cage 402having a plurality of apertures 404, each aperture for receiving acorresponding rolling element 406. The cage 402 maintains the rollingelements 406 in a spaced-apart configuration. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8,the upper end of the bearing cage 402 may include a collar defining anannular shoulder 512 that is adapted to engage an annular ring 516portion of the wheel support 338. Shoulder 512 has a downwardly facingengagement surface 520 that extends radially inwardly. The annular ring516 defines a raised ridge portion 524 located proximate to theoutermost diameter of the annular ring 516. The ridge portion 524contacts and forms a bearing surface for the engagement surface 520 ofthe annular shoulder 512 to allow relative rotation of the two aroundthe axis of the rivet 356.

The bearing cage 402 hangs or is suspended from the raised ridge 524portion of the wheel support 338 to position the roller bearings 406 inthe space between the upper bearing surface 504 associated with thehousing 336 and the lower bearing surface 508 associated with the wheelsupport 338. More specifically, the contact between the annular shoulder512 and the raised ridge 524 inhibits the movement of the bearing cage402 further down into the space between the bearing surfaces 504, 508that would otherwise occur due to the force of gravity. Thus, theconfiguration shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 may omit the annular lip 184 thatsupports the lower end of the bearing cage in the configuration shown inFIGS. 1-6. In one respect, supporting the upper end of the bearing cage402 rather than the lower end is advantageous because the intrusion ofdirt is less likely to cause friction between the bearing cage 402 andthe upper and lower bearing surfaces 504 and 508 because dirt cannotbuild-up and accumulate on the inside of the annular lip 184.Additionally, with the point of contact between the bearing cage 402 andthe wheel support 338 removed from that portion of the space between theupper and lower bearing surfaces 504 and 508 that is open to exterior ofthe wheel assembly 302, the intrusion of dirt is less likely to causefriction or otherwise inhibit relative movement that may occur betweenthe bearing cage 402 and the wheel support 338.

Turning now to the engagement between the rolling elements 406 and theupper bearing surface 504, reference is made to FIGS. 7 and 8. As canbest be seen in the close-up illustration of FIG. 8, the angled wallportion 352 portion of the housing 336 has a variable thickness suchthat the upper bearing surface 504 is curved slightly outward and towardthe rolling element 406. The outward curvature of the upper bearingsurface 504 reaches a maximum at a point or apex that is positionedbetween the upper and lower ends of the rolling element 406. In oneembodiment, the apex of the upper bearing surface 504 substantiallycorresponds to a midway point along a length of the rolling element 406.Thus, the upper bearing surface 504 curves slightly away from the endsthe rolling element 406 where the rolling element 406 could contain acorner or other sharp angle. By curving the upper bearing surface 504 inthis way, the force applied to the rolling element 406 is substantiallynear the midway point along the length of the rolling element 406 andnot an end of the rolling element 406 where the force would otherwise beconcentrated due to the presence of sharp angles. Concentrating theforce between the upper and lower ends of the rolling element 406 isadvantageous because the force is distributed more evenly through thebody of the rolling element 406 than would be the case if the force wasconcentrated at an end of the rolling element 406. Thus, energy istransferred more efficiently between the upper bearing surface 504 andthe rolling element 406 in this configuration. Here, the rolling element406 may deflect so that the rolling element 406 still contacts the upperbearing surface 504 along the entire length of the rolling element 406,resulting in better distribution of the force along the rolling element406 when deformed. In alternative configurations both the upper 504 andlower 508 bearing surfaces are curved, or the lower bearing surface 508is curved but the upper bearing surface 504 is not.

The example wheel assembly 302 illustrated in FIGS. 7-9 also contains analternative configuration for the connection between the housing 336 andthe wheel support 338. As can be seen in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 9, the housing 336 includes an upper collar 354 having an innersurface that defines an upper bore 353 portion of the housing 336. Theinner surface of the upper collar 354 acts as an axle bearing surfacefor an upper portion of wheel support 338 that is received in the upperbore 353 so as to form a rotatable connection between the housing 336and the wheel support 338. A rivet 356 disposed through the centralcavity of the wheel support 338 may secure the connection between thehousing 336 and the wheel support 338. The configuration illustrated inFIGS. 7-9 may also contain grease grooves 528 disposed on the outersurface of the upper portion of the wheel support 338. The grease groves528 provide spacing that enables a lubricating grease to be presentbetween the upper collar 354 and the upper portion of wheel support 338so as to provide a smoother rotatable connection. The grease groves 528may have a substantially vertical orientation and may extend from a topsurface of the wheel support 338 down the length of the upper portion ofthe wheel support 338 for a distance. The grease grooves 528 can extendfor any distance along the length of the upper portion of the wheelsupport 338, but will generally not extend into the frustoconicalbearing section. The grease grooves 528 may be further oriented inspaced angular intervals around the circumference of the upper portionof the wheel support 338.

As shown in FIG. 9, grease groves 528 may be omitted in a forwardsection 532 of the upper portion of the wheel support 338 that faces thehighest load. As described above, the wheel support 338 includes struts364 having apertures 372 that receive a central axle 374 that supportsthe wheel 340. The forward section 532 is centered in the plane thatlies midway between the struts 364. More specifically, the forwardsection 532 may be a section of the upper portion of the wheel support338 having an angle that is bisected or otherwise divided by the planethat lies midway between the struts 364. In one embodiment, the forwardsection is an approximately 30 degree section. The struts 364 are angledsuch that the apertures 372 that receive the central axle 374 areoff-center with respect to the pivot axle 356. The forward section 532is located on an opposite side of the pivot axle 356 from that of theapertures 372. As wheel assembly 302 moves, the wheel support 338 willtend to rotate such that the wheel 340 aligns with the direction oftravel, with the wheel 340 trailing the forward section 532. Thus, thelocation of the highest loading will be between the forward section 532and that portion of the upper bore 353 that is in contact with theforward section 532. In order to achieve greater efficiency ofmechanical energy transfer, it may be desirable to maximize the amountof wheel support 338 surface area that contacts the surface area of theupper bore 353. Thus, it may be advantageous to omit the grease grooves528 in the forward section 532 of the upper portion of the wheel support338.

The example wheel assembly 302 illustrated in FIGS. 7-9 provides anumber of other features that provide various advantages. First, thewheel assembly 302 includes a number of cut-outs 536 or void spaces thatreduce material usage. Reducing the amount of material used has theadvantage of reducing the pre-unit cost of producing the product.Additionally, in some embodiments, a 7 mm axle is used so as to be ableto use an aluminum axle. The housing 336 may also contain a roundedsection 544 that engages the underside 548 of a washer 540 that islocated between the housing 336 and the wheel support 338. The washer540 has an outer edge which is a circumferential edge located adjacentto the central axis at distance corresponding to the diameter of thewasher 540. In some manufacturing processes, the washer 540 is stampedand as a result the outer edge of washer 540 may have a sharp edgepointing downward from the underside 548 of the washer 540. The roundedsection 544 is shaped so as to avoid contact between the outer edge ofthe washer 540 and the housing 336 so as to prevent contact between thesharp outer edge of the washer 540 and the housing 336 which couldotherwise cause unwanted friction or cutting into the housing 336.

The wheel housing, friction reduction member, and/or the wheel supportof the wheel assemblies described herein may be formed using plasticmaterials including, but not limited to, polyethylene (PE),polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadienestyrene (ABS), poly carbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polybutyleneterephthalate (PBT), and so on.

It should be noted that all directional and/or dimensional references(e.g., upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward,top, bottom, above, below, front, back, rear, forward, backward,rearward, inner, outer, inward, outward, vertical, horizontal,clockwise, counterclockwise, length, width, height, depth, and relativeorientation) are only used for identification purposes to aid thereader's understanding of the implementations of the disclosedinvention(s), and do not create limitations, particularly as to theposition, orientation, use relative size or geometry of the invention(s)unless specifically set forth in the claims.

Connection references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, joined, andthe like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediatemembers between a connection of elements and relative movement betweenelements. As such, connection references do not necessarily infer thattwo elements are directly connected and in a fixed relation to eachother.

In some instances, components are described with reference to “ends”having a particular characteristic and/or being connected with anotherpart. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that thedisclosed invention(s) is not limited to components that terminateimmediately beyond their points of connection with other parts. Thus,the term “end” should be interpreted broadly, in a manner that includesareas adjacent, rearward, forward of, or otherwise near the terminus ofa particular element, link, component, part, member or the like. Inmethodologies directly or indirectly set forth herein, various steps andoperations are described in one possible order of operation, but thoseskilled in the art will recognize that steps and operations may berearranged, replaced, or eliminated without necessarily departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting.Changes in detail or structure may be made that are within the scope ofthe appended claims.

The invention claimed:
 1. A luggage wheel assembly in a luggage casehaving a plurality of panels, the luggage wheel assembly comprising: ahousing for operably coupling the luggage wheel assembly to an exteriorsurface of at least one of the plurality of panels of the luggage case;a wheel support rotatably coupled to the housing and having a first axisof rotation; a wheel member rotatably coupled to the wheel support andhaving a second axis of rotation; the housing including a wall definingan upper side and an underside; the wheel support including a walldefining an upper side and an underside; and at least one of theunderside of the wall of the housing or the upper side of the wall ofthe wheel support recessed from the exterior surface of said at leastone of the plurality of panels and defining in part a partially conicalshape.
 2. The luggage wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the undersideof the wall of the wheel support defines in part a concave cavityopening downwardly.
 3. The luggage wheel assembly of claim 1, whereinthe housing comprises at least two sides each coupled to a differentpanel of the luggage case, and the at least two sides of the housingcomprise a bottom side coupled to a bottom panel of the luggage case andtwo vertical sides respectively coupled to an adjacent major face paneland an adjacent side panel of the luggage case.
 4. The luggage wheelassembly of claim 1 further comprising a friction reduction memberpositioned between the housing and the wheel support.
 5. The luggagewheel assembly of claim 4, wherein the underside of the wall of thehousing forms a first bearing surface movably engaging the frictionreduction member, and the upper side of the wall of the wheel supportforms a second bearing surface movably engaging the friction reductionmember.
 6. The luggage wheel assembly of claim 5, wherein the first andsecond bearing surfaces are substantially parallel to each other ororiented at a same angle relative to the first axis of rotation of thewheel support.
 7. The luggage wheel assembly of claim 5, wherein atleast one of the first bearing surface or the second bearing surface isoriented at an angle between 30 to 50 degrees with respect to the firstaxis of rotation of the wheel support.
 8. The luggage wheel assembly ofclaim 5, wherein the wheel support further comprises a spigot having anaxis parallel to the first axis and extending from an upper rim of thesecond bearing surface, the spigot received in a bore defined in thehousing and located centrally with respect to the first bearing surface.9. The luggage wheel assembly of claim 4, wherein the friction reductionmember comprises a plurality of rollers.
 10. The luggage wheel assemblyof claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of rollers are substantiallycylindrical or conical.
 11. The luggage wheel assembly of claim 9,wherein the friction reduction member further comprises a cage forreceiving the rollers, the cage in supportive contact with the wheelsupport at an upper end of the cage.
 12. The luggage wheel assembly ofclaim 11, wherein the upper end of the cage includes a collar definingan annular shoulder adapted to engage a raised ridge portion of anannular ring disposed on the wheel support.
 13. The luggage wheelassembly of claim 5, wherein the friction reduction member comprises aplurality of rollers, and wherein the first bearing surface is curved toform an apex that engages the plurality of rollers between opposing endsof each roller.
 14. The luggage wheel assembly of claim 13, wherein theapex of the first bearing surface substantially corresponds to a midwaypoint along a length of each roller.
 15. The luggage wheel assembly ofclaim 1 further comprising a securing assembly restricting relativemovement between the wheel support and the housing in a directionparallel to the first axis of rotation of the wheel support.
 16. Theluggage wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the wheel support comprises apair of struts each formed with at least a contoured inner surface. 17.The luggage wheel assembly of claim 16, wherein the pair of struts eachare formed with a contoured outer surface, the contoured inner surfaceof each of the pair of struts and the corresponding contoured outersurface are formed with substantially the same curvature.
 18. Theluggage wheel assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality ofgrooves disposed about the circumference of a head portion of the wheelsupport, the grooves oriented in spaced angular intervals excluding aforward section defined by an angle that is divided by a direction oftravel of the luggage wheel assembly, the wheel member trailing theforward section when the luggage wheel assembly is in motion.
 19. Theluggage wheel assembly of claim 18, wherein the angle that defines theforward section is approximately 30 degrees.
 20. A luggage articlecomprising a plurality of panels defining an interior space and at leastone luggage wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1.